Push button switch



May 18, 1948. H. A; BAUMER PUSH BUTTON SWITCH v Filed Oct. 3, 1945' .u R v r m WQ m MM, T L d B W M L- D ATTORNEYK Patented May 18 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE Henry A. Bau'mer. St. Marys, Pa., assignor to Stackpole Carbon Company, St. Marys, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 3, 1945, Serial No. 819,989

.7 Claims. (Cl. 200-18) 1 This invention relates to electric switches, and

more particularly to push buttons switches in which a contactor is reciprocable across a plurality of laterally spaced electric contacts.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a two-position push button switch in which the contactor is moved in opposite directions between its two positions by pushing on the same actuating member, and which is simple in construction and dependable in operation.

In accordance with this invention a plurality of electric contacts are mounted in a housing where there is a contactor for slidably engaging them. An actuating member in the form of a push rod, which is slidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise, is operably connected to the contactor for moving it across the contacts. A spring biases the rod forward. Means are connected to the rod and housing for automatically stopping forward movement of the rod in an intermediate position each alternate time that the rod is released after having been pushed to its rear position. Preferably, these means include a pair of members projecting from the rod, and a rotatable latch mounted on the housing and adapted to be rotated a few degrees by one of the members when the rod is pushed, and rotated a few more degrees by the other member when the rod is released. The rod is stopped in intermediate position by engagement of the latch with the second member, but can be returned to its front position by again pushin on the rod to release the latch. Preferably, there are at least three contacts in a line, and the contactor is a bridging member which bridges two of them at a time. One of the members by which the latch is rotated may also be used to reciprocate the bridging member.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view, partly broken away, of my switch; Fig. 2 is a front end view with the left half broken away; Fig. 3 is a plan view with part of the push rod broken away and showing the switch in its front operating position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the latch when the push rod is moved to its rear position directly from its front position; Fig. 5 shows the switch in its rear operating position: and Fig. 6 shows the position of the latch when the push rod is moved to its rear position again after having been in the intermediate position showninFig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a housing is provided which is shown in the general form of a channel; that is, it has a web or top wall I and parallel flanges or side walls 2. The top wall has upwardly projecting ears 3 and 4 at its opposite ends. and a vertical plate 6 is attached to the front ear and closes the front end of the channel. The lower portion of this plate is provided with a threaded opening I by which the switch can be attached to a suitable support. such as an instrument panel. Although the housing may be made of any suitable material, it is preferred to make it of metal and to provide the lower edges of its side walls with lugs 8 which are bent under the edges of a base member 9 to position the latter in spaced parallel relation to the topof the housing. The edges of this base member are provided with notches for receiving the lugsin order to hold it in predetermined position longitudinally of the housing. The base member is made of insulating material, such as a small strip of Bakelite, Mounted in this base in a straight line along its center is a plurality of one-piece terminals each of which has a partially spherical contact portion ii disposed against the upper surface of the base, and parallel portions projecting from the opposite sides of the contact through slots in the base, one of these parallel portions having an extension l2 adapted to be connected to a wire of an electric circuit. The other parallel portion terminates in a lug l3 bent under the base to lock the terminal in place. Although the number of contacts is optional, this switch is particularly suited to controlling several circuits. The switch illustrated therefore has six contacts which may be used to control two pairs of circuits in a manner to be described presently.

Disposed in the housing is a contactor holder i5 which is slidable longitudinally of the housing and which preferably is made of a molded insulating material. It has a generally rectangular body, and integral detents It at its upper corners for engaging the top wall of the housing to i8 in which bridging members or contactors I9 and 20 are loosely mounted. Each contactor has a circular disc-like body of a diameter sufficient to engage only two contacts at a time, and a stem that projects up into the surrounding recess. The contactor is pressed down against the contacts by means of a coil spring 22 encircling its stem and compressed between its body and the top of the recess, When holder is is in its front position, front contactor l9 bridges the front pair or contacts, while rear contactor 20 bridges the second and third contacts from the rear. Consequently, if the holder is moved backwardly, the front contactor may be caused to engage the second and third contacts fromthe front while the rear contactor engages the two'rear contacts. contactor 19 therefore controls a pair of circuits connected to the three front contacts, and contactor 20 controls another pair of circuits connected to the three rear contacts. ,7

In order to move the contactors back and forth between their two circuit-closing positions, the holder is provided in its top with a transverse recess 25 into which the lower end of a vertical finger 26 projects. This finger extends through a longitudinal slot 21 (Fi 3) in the top of the housing at one side of its center line. The finger is carried by a push rod 28 which is slidably mounted in openings through ears 3 and l and through the upper part of plate 6. Preferably, the upper end of the finger is integral with a metal strip 23 secured to the bottom of the push 'rod and extending forward to a point close to the front of the housing. At this point the strip is provided with a downwardly extending lug 3| which is on the side of the housings center line opposite to the finger and which preferably is disposed at the angle shown in Fig. 3.

Part of the push rod between the housing ears is wider than the rest of it so as to form front and rear shoulders 32. A coil spring 33 is mounted on the rod between ear 3 and the rear shoulders to urge the rod forward at all times, but its forward movement is limited by engagement of the front shoulders with ear 4. Thus, by pushing the front endof the rod, which may be provided with a knob if desired, contactor holder l can be moved rearwardly in the housing. When the rod is released, spring 33 will move it forward.

To stop the released rod in an intermediate position in which contactors l9 and 20 will be in their second operating position, a small latch 35 is rotatably mounted on tOp of the housing where it normally extends lengthwise of the rod beside finger 26, as shownin Fig. 3. This latch has notches, preferably V-shape, in its opposite ends. When the rod is pushed into its rear position, lug 3| engages the adjacent front corner of the latch and turns it in a counterclockwise direction. The finger does not interfere with rotation of the latch because the rod moves the finger back behind the rear end of the latch, as shown in Fig. 4. This rotation of the latch swings the notch in its rear end into a position where it projects in front of the finger, so that when the rod is released the finger will move forward into the notch and rotate the latch a few more degrees. ment of the latch swings its front side into the path of lug 3 i, as shown in Fig. 5, and at the same time it swings one side of the rear notch against the adjoining side of the finger. Engagement of the latch with the side of the finger prevents further rotation of the latch, while engagement of the front of the finger with the stationary latch prevents further forward movement of the finger and holder l5 actuated by it. The parts of the switch are so related that when this occurs the contactors are located in their second or rear operating position as described above.

In order to return the contactors to their original or forward operating position, the push rod again is pushed in as far as it will go. As shown This move-' 4 in Fig. 6, this causes lug ii to engage the front side of the latch and to turn it a few degrees as finger 26 moves behind the latch. The some movement of the latch swings the rear side of it in front of the finger so that when the rod is released again, the finger strikes the back of the latch and rotates it until it again is parallel to slot 21 as shown in Fig. 3. The finger moves forward until front shoulders 32 engage ear l, at which time bridging members [9 and 20 again bridge the contacts shown bridged in Fig. l.

It therefore will be seen that every other time that the push rod is released after being pushed in, it will be -arrested by the latch in such a position that the contactors will bridge different pairs of contacts than they'did when the rod was in its forward position. The intermediate times that the rod is released it will move forward the full distance. Consequently, the contactors can be moved into either operating position by merely pushing on the rod and then releasing it.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A push button switch comprising a housing, electric contacts therein, a contactor for slidably engaging said contacts, a push rod slidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise, means rigidly connected to the rod and operably connecting said rod to said contactor for moving it across said contacts, a spring biasing the rod forward, a rotatable latch mounted on the housing for engaging said contactor-moving means and stopping its forward movement in an intermediate position each alternate time that the rod is released after having been pushed to its rear position, and means carried by the rod for rotating the latch a. few degrees every time the rod is pushed to said rear position.

2. A push button switch comprising a housing, electric contacts therein, a contactor for slidably engaging said contacts, a push rod slidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise, means operably connecting said rod to said contactor for moving it across said contacts, a

spring biasing the rod forward, a rotatable latch mounted on the housing for engaging said contactor-moving means and stopping its forward movement in an intermediate position each 8.1-

ternatetime that the rod is released after having been pushed to its rear position, and a lug on the rod for rotating the latch a few degrees every time the rod is pushed to said rear position.

3. A push button switch comprising a, housing, electric contacts therein, a contactor for slidably engaging said contacts, a holder for the contactor slidably mounted in the housing and provided with a recess, a push rod siidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise, said housing being provided with a slot, a finger secured to the rod and extending through said slot into said recess for reciprocating said holder, and means connected to the rod and housing for automatically stopping forward movement of said finger in an intermediate position each alternate time that the rod is released after having been pushed to its rear position.

4. A push button switch comprising a. housing, electric contacts therein, a contactor for slidably the rod forward, a member projecting from the rod toward the housing. a rotatable latch mounted on the housing and normally extending lengthwise of the rod beside said member, said latch having notches in its opposite ends. and a lug sesured to the rod for engaging a front corner of the latch when the rod is pushed toward its rear position and thereby rotating the latch to swing the notch at its rear end in front of said member, said member entering said notch when the rod is released and rotating the latch a few degrees to swing one side of it into the path of the lug, further rotation of the latch being prevented by its engagement with the side 01' said member, whereby the latch holds the rod in an intermediate position until the rod again is pushed toward its rear position.

5. A push button switch comprising a housing,

at least three aligned electric contacts therein, a bridging member in the housing slidably engaging a pair of adjacent contacts, a push rod slidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise of said line of contacts, a finger secured to the rod for moving the bridging member from one pair of contacts to another, a spring biasing the rod forward, a rotatable latch mounted on the housing and normally extending lengthwise of the rod beside said finger, said latch having notches in its opposite ends. and a lug secured to the rod for engaging a front corner of the latch when the rod is pushed toward its rear position and thereby rotating the latch to swing the notch at its rear end in front of the finger, said finger entering said notch when the rod is released and rotating the latch a few degrees to swing one side of Dush rod slidably con- 6. A push button switch comprising a housing,

: electric contacts therein, a contactor for slidably it into the path of the lug, further rotation of the linger from the latch and to cause the ing to swing 4 the rear side of the latch in front of the finger.

engaging said contacts, a push rod slidably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise and operably connected to said contactor for moving it across said contacts, a spring biasing the rod forward, a pair of members projecting from the rod, and a rotatable latch mounted on the housing and adapted to be rotated a few degrees by one of said members when the rod is pushed,

said latch being adapted to be rotated a few moredegrees by the other of said members when the rod is released, and rotation of the latch being stopped by its engagement with said other member each alternate time that the rod is released after it has been pushed to its rear position, whereby the rod is held in an intermediate position until the rod again is pushed toward said rear position.

7. A push button switch comprising a housing, an electric contact therein, a contactor for en- I gaging said contact, a push rod slldably connected to the housing for reciprocation lengthwise and operably connected to said contactor for moving it into and out of engagement with said contact, a spring biasing the rod forward, a, rigid member projecting from said rod, a rotatable latch mounted on the housing for engaging said member and stopping its forward-movement in an intermediate position each alternate time that the rod is released after having been pushed to its rear position, and projecting means on the rod for'rotat-' ing the latch a few degrees every time the rod is pushed to said rear position.

HENRY A. BAUMER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,229,729 Emde Jan. 28, 1941 2,335,082 Platz Nov. 23, 1943 

